FRANKFURT (dpa-AFX Broker) - The shares of Hensoldt rose significantly on Friday after the publication of the annual report. At their peak, the shares climbed 7.6 percent to 37.28 euros, their highest level in almost a year. With this rise, the shares have finally ended the interim period of weakness at the end of last year. In December, the shares had fallen to around 24 euros.

However, the shares were not quite able to maintain the level of the early afternoon. In the afternoon, they gained 6.5 percent to 36.90 euros. The shares of the defense electronics specialist have thus become the second-best MDax stock so far in 2024, gaining slightly more than 50 percent.

However, they have hardly been able to close the gap on Rheinmetall, which is rushing from record to record. Before the weekend, the shares of the Düsseldorf-based group surpassed the EUR 500 mark for the first time and are 75 percent ahead as the best DAX stock in the current year.

Hensoldt announces the completion of the takeover of electronics specialist ESG in the coming days. The forecast for the current year will then be adjusted. Armaments companies are benefiting from the turnaround in European armaments policy following the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine in February 2022. Rheinmetall's share price has increased fivefold since then, while Hensoldt's has more than tripled.

Hensoldt has been listed on the stock exchange since fall 2020. The shares were placed for 12 euros per share at the time. The share price remained at this level until Russia's attack on Ukraine two years ago - since then it has risen rapidly. Last April, the share price reached its highest level to date at 37.54 euros.

The company is currently valued at 4.3 billion euros on the stock exchange and is listed on the MDax. The state holds just over 25 percent of the shares. Just under 23 percent of the shares belong to the Italian defense group Leonardo.

The shares of Renk, a newcomer to the stock market, also rose again on Friday, most recently by more than four percent to 27.92 euros. The shares of the armored gear manufacturer had consolidated in recent days with prices below 27 euros in some cases and are still some way off the high of almost 30 euros reached in February. Measured against the issue price of 15 euros on the day of the IPO at the beginning of February, however, they have already increased in price by 86 percent./ag/mis/zb/ajx/nas